Battle With Guns Tragic Termination of a Prize Fight Last Night One Dead Two Wounded Goldie Tilson Killed, Just From the Pen, is Killed (Body of article Spells it ‘Filson’) Submitted by: Mollie Stehno

Oklahoma City, O. T., Nov. 22—The boxing fame begun in this city so early in the week cametot a tragic termination last night at 10:30 in the hall in the rear of Jack Brown’s building on Grand Avenue. One dead and two wounded are the result. After a preliminary bout of five rounds the main event of the evening was under full swing, and at the beginning of the fourth round, Charles Kent and Ed Filson pulled Kent out of his seat by the hair, the two having been enemies for some time. Filson’s brother Goldie came to his assistance, drawing his gun, and others also participated in the fusillade, reports varying as to the number of shots fired, some declaring that there six shooters were emptied during the melee.

Several hundred people who composed the audience made a mad scramble for the exits. Three windows, four doors and two stairways could not accommodate those who were anxious to get to the outside. The wounded Filson carried his dying brother to the yard in the rear of the hall, where he died in a few moments.

The shots attracted the chief of police and the force on duty at headquarters across the alley, who arrived and immediately proceeded to close the doors of the place until it could be ascertain who had done the shooting.

By the time the crowd had scattered in every direction and it was with difficulty that anything could be learned. Out in the alley Goldie Filson was lying dead, with a bullet through his head, while near by was his brother, Ed, shot mortally through the lungs. The latter claimed that the man who shot him was John Wilkins, a colored man known about town, and a sear for Wilkins revealed the fact that he was lying at No. 19 California street shot in the leg and arm and suffering from loss of blood. On the strength of the statement made by Ed Filson, Wilkins was placed under arrest, and medical aid summoned. Ed Filson sent for a physical, saying that it was all over, but that some relief could be given during his last hours. The officers arranged at once to have his ante mortem statement taken.

Not withstanding the crowded hall, there were very few who saw the whole affair, so suddenly did it start and reach a climax. Those who were sitting near Kent say that he was sitting peaceable watching the pugilistic contest in the ring, when E Filson came up from behind and caught him by the hair, at the same time applying some epithets. Kent replied as he jerked loose, and the two fell to fighting. Goldie came up, according to this report, with his hand on his gun, and others also brought out guns, followed by indiscriminate shooting.

Goldie Filson, the first victim, had returned only the day before from the penitentiary, where he was sent to serve a sentence for highway robbery. Both he and his brother have borne hard names in this city for a number of years, being implicated in several escapades.

The wreck of the hall after the fusillade was of the kind that remains after a cyclone has passed. Chairs, benches, hats, overcoats, boxing gloves, sweaters and miscellaneous wearing apparel constituted the covering of the floor. The walls and ceiling bore the marks of many bullets, to escape which the large crowd had stampeded with the commencement of hostilities. The referee said heh ad attended boxing contests all over America but had never attended such a strenuous sporting event as occurred last night.

| The Shawnee Hearld Page |  | Mollie's Corner Page |  | Home |